Backpacking Through Europe
DONE BY: Aeshna Chandra | Milton Academy '16, Columbia University '21
HOW OPPORTUNITY WAS FOUND: Decided to go on the trip after talking with a former classmate (also on a gap year at the time) from high school
LENGTH: 4 weeks
LOCATION: (In order of travel)
- Madrid, Spain
- Barcelona, Spain
- Bordeaux, France
- Paris, France
- Wengen, Switzerland
- Zermatt, Switzerland
- Venice, Italy
- Florence, Italy
- Rome, Italy
DAY-TO-DAY LIFE:
- 10:00am: Wake up
- 10:00am~1:00pm: Sight see/go to museums/just walk around
- 1:00pm~2:00pm: Lunch
- 2:00pm~9:00pm: Sight see/go to museums/just walk around
- 9:00pm~ : Dinner & meet up and go out with people from other hostels
TYPES OF ACTIVITIES DONE:
Sight seeing, visiting museums, walking around cities, hiking
FUN: ★★★★☆
PERSONAL GROWTH: ★★★★★
TOP 3 TIPS FOR SOMEONE CONSIDERING THIS EXPERIENCE:
- Try to book Airbnbs/hostels at least a couple months in advance, especially during the summer
- Consider staying at each place for longer than 3-4 days (personally would WWOOF at a place for an extended period of time)
- Solicit different opinions (both positive and negative) from others who have gone backpacking through Europe
MOST MEANINGFUL LESSON TAKEN AWAY:
- It's not that fulfilling to just jump around from place to place.
- There are SO many people in the world who have "succeeded" in some form--so don't pressure yourself to follow the norm.